We're already 10 days into 2013 and I've yet to post my reflections on 2012. I'd like to keep the semi-tradition going, but I feel like a full recap isn't really necessary, since the year's blog entries are all right here, so I'll be keeping this one brief.
Honestly, 2012 was a long, frustrating, and exhausting year on a personal level. It was rough and I'm glad to put it behind me. Amidst the negative, there was positive. I visited California. I saw my friends. I went to Niagara Falls. Grandma's doing better. On October 13th, little lady London was born, making me the uncle of three beautiful, smart, and strong little people. I'm thankful for those good notes of the year.
Creatively, things shifted a bit over the course of the year. I helped Teal with My Gimpy Life, I created the music video for My Dear with Sébastien Lefebvre, and I finally released The Girl and the Ghost. Looking back, I'm so happy with how everything turned out. I'm proud of the results. It feels good. 2013 is shaping up to be a good one too. I'm helping out on a secret little project with my new friend, the amazing America Young and I'm hoping to make something happen with Waiting for the Sun.
So, thanks for the good stuff, 2012. Here's hoping 2013 brings more good to us all. Let's rock it.
Showing posts with label Teal Sherer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teal Sherer. Show all posts
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Monday, October 01, 2012
How I Spent My Summer (Also Spring and Part of Fall)
So, things have been crazy busy and I haven't blogged in ages. Shocking, right? Here's a bit of a recap of what's been going on so far this year.
Things got off to an awesome start in the early months of the year when Teal asked if I'd be up for helping out a bit with her web series, My Gimpy Life. That was an offer I couldn't pass up, so I got to work. I went a bit out of my usual creative territory and designed the website for the series as well as all the graphics for their promotional stuff and social media sites. I even animated the logos for Rolling Person Productions and Dracogen that you see at the end of every episode.
The series was released over the summer and I'm so thankful that I got to have a little hand in it. Teal and everyone involved did an incredible job and they should all be extremely proud. I'd definitely encourage you to check out My Gimpy Life right here:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8DFDC12B1B8CFC85
Also, check out the website: MyGimpyLife.com
And follow the show's Twitter feed: Twitter.com/MyGimpyLife
And like it on Facebook: Facebook.com/MyGimpyLife
And howsabout Google+?: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100522847194674207229
Get to it, would ya?
Next up, in early spring, I started work on another project I couldn't pass up on. Sébastien Lefebvre of the band Simple Plan was about to release a solo EP and wanted an animated music video for one of the songs. It still baffles me that I got this chance, but before too long, we discussed things, agreed on a concept, and I got started. About 270 hours of animation later, the video for My Dear was complete.
The video debuted in July and to my relief, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. A few months have passed and every time I watch it, I'm beyond proud of what we came up with. I can't thank Sébastien enough for letting me be part of it.
And a very special thanks to my buddy, Rich, for helping make the whole thing happen!
Take a look and tell me what you think!
In July, after a year of quiet planning, I embarked on an insane trip. Mom, Dad, and I drove from Ohio to California. For Comic Con.
We were away for 19 long days, so chronicling everything would be an exhausting task at the moment. For now, I'll just share a few brief personal highlights from those 19 days.
-On the way out, I spent the night in Phoenix (where it was 115 degrees) and finally got to meet my dear friend, Leah D'Emilio, after years of friendship.
-I got into the Warner Brothers panel at Comic Con and got to see the first footage of Man of Steel presented by director Zack Snyder and the new Superman himself, Henry Cavill. To this Superman nerd, it looks incredible.
-I also got to see a ton of footage from the upcoming Hobbit movies presented by Peter Jackson and the cast. Nerd bliss. I can't wait to visit Middle Earth again.
-I unexpectedly got to meet a personal creative hero of mine, Bruce Timm.
-I met Power Girl.
-I met William, Bert, and Tom.
-We got to see old friends, Sharon & Jim, for the first time in years. Unfortunately, I was a bit under the weather, so I couldn't fully enjoy our visit to Brent's Deli.
-On my last night in California, Teal & Ali invited us over for dinner. Even though I was sick, hanging out with Teal, Ali, Marisa, Dan, and Bre the wonderdog was fantastic. I wish I could get together with my California friends more often.
After nearly three weeks away, we came home to Matthew showing off his newly learned skill of bike riding. The kid taught himself how to ride in just one day. Uncle pride right there.
A few weeks after getting back from California, I had another little trip planned to see Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida play shows at Jackson-Triggs in Niagara. Mom, Maude, and I went up and had some fun, but we cut the trip short when we found out my grandma had a mild heart attack. We came home to see her before she went in for bypass surgery. The surgery went well, but she's still on the long, speedbump-filled road to recovery. Love you, Granny!
Before coming back from Canada, we did get to take in Chantal's show at the winery. To say I'm glad we saw it would be an understatement. Sitting there under the clear Canadian night sky, sipping wine as Chantal played and a cool breeze swept across the hillside...it was the most relaxed I've felt in a long, long time. I needed it.
Things have been off-kilter lately with everything going on with Grandma, so I haven't been super productive these past few weeks, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Family comes first.
There are still new, awesome things coming though.
Soon.
And the last update for this entry? I'm 30 now.
Yep.
Things got off to an awesome start in the early months of the year when Teal asked if I'd be up for helping out a bit with her web series, My Gimpy Life. That was an offer I couldn't pass up, so I got to work. I went a bit out of my usual creative territory and designed the website for the series as well as all the graphics for their promotional stuff and social media sites. I even animated the logos for Rolling Person Productions and Dracogen that you see at the end of every episode.
The series was released over the summer and I'm so thankful that I got to have a little hand in it. Teal and everyone involved did an incredible job and they should all be extremely proud. I'd definitely encourage you to check out My Gimpy Life right here:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8DFDC12B1B8CFC85
Also, check out the website: MyGimpyLife.com
And follow the show's Twitter feed: Twitter.com/MyGimpyLife
And like it on Facebook: Facebook.com/MyGimpyLife
And howsabout Google+?: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100522847194674207229
Get to it, would ya?
Next up, in early spring, I started work on another project I couldn't pass up on. Sébastien Lefebvre of the band Simple Plan was about to release a solo EP and wanted an animated music video for one of the songs. It still baffles me that I got this chance, but before too long, we discussed things, agreed on a concept, and I got started. About 270 hours of animation later, the video for My Dear was complete.
The video debuted in July and to my relief, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. A few months have passed and every time I watch it, I'm beyond proud of what we came up with. I can't thank Sébastien enough for letting me be part of it.
And a very special thanks to my buddy, Rich, for helping make the whole thing happen!
Take a look and tell me what you think!
In July, after a year of quiet planning, I embarked on an insane trip. Mom, Dad, and I drove from Ohio to California. For Comic Con.
-On the way out, I spent the night in Phoenix (where it was 115 degrees) and finally got to meet my dear friend, Leah D'Emilio, after years of friendship.
-I got into the Warner Brothers panel at Comic Con and got to see the first footage of Man of Steel presented by director Zack Snyder and the new Superman himself, Henry Cavill. To this Superman nerd, it looks incredible.
-I also got to see a ton of footage from the upcoming Hobbit movies presented by Peter Jackson and the cast. Nerd bliss. I can't wait to visit Middle Earth again.
-I unexpectedly got to meet a personal creative hero of mine, Bruce Timm.
-I met Power Girl.
-I met William, Bert, and Tom.
-We got to see old friends, Sharon & Jim, for the first time in years. Unfortunately, I was a bit under the weather, so I couldn't fully enjoy our visit to Brent's Deli.
After nearly three weeks away, we came home to Matthew showing off his newly learned skill of bike riding. The kid taught himself how to ride in just one day. Uncle pride right there.
A few weeks after getting back from California, I had another little trip planned to see Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida play shows at Jackson-Triggs in Niagara. Mom, Maude, and I went up and had some fun, but we cut the trip short when we found out my grandma had a mild heart attack. We came home to see her before she went in for bypass surgery. The surgery went well, but she's still on the long, speedbump-filled road to recovery. Love you, Granny!
Before coming back from Canada, we did get to take in Chantal's show at the winery. To say I'm glad we saw it would be an understatement. Sitting there under the clear Canadian night sky, sipping wine as Chantal played and a cool breeze swept across the hillside...it was the most relaxed I've felt in a long, long time. I needed it.
Things have been off-kilter lately with everything going on with Grandma, so I haven't been super productive these past few weeks, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Family comes first.
There are still new, awesome things coming though.
Soon.
And the last update for this entry? I'm 30 now.
Yep.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Jacob's Semi-Yearly Year's End Review of the Year- 2011
Here we are at the end of another year. In what seems to be a a pattern, this was a weird year. As per tradition, let's take a look back at the highlights, lowlights, and in-betweenlights.
2011 started with a mix of excitement and exhaustion after the recent completion of Four Tanks and a Healer. I took a brief rest, then shifted back into work mode and finished animating The Girl and the Ghost while Marisa and Larry had some big meetings in LA about Four Tanks.
Following completion of the animation for Ghost, I laid low for a while and let myself decompress a bit.
After a long, rainy spring that lasted into the summer, in late June, I took a trip to Niagara Falls and met Teal Sherer. We spent a few days hanging out, saw Chantal play at Jackson-Triggs and just had a great time.
Sadly, the vacation ended with me getting sick and it took me until the end of July to feel back to normal.
At the end of August, I was ready to donate again, so I went and got my hair chopped.
In September, Mom was out of commission with an infection in her finger and took most of the month to recover. Before the month was over, Mom was back on track and we took an interesting trip to Toronto, which I still need to blog about.
In October, nearly a year after its completion, Four Tanks and a Healer premiered at TheOneRing.net and received very positive reactions.
In November, Bridget, Mom, and I saw Marketa Irglova in an amazing, intimate concert. Still need to blog about that one too.
This strangely rainy December saw the release of a great holiday video Teal came up with. I was happy to have been involved, even if I only lent a small hand.
Christmas, though snowless, was nice. I loved watching Matthew experience the magic and fun of it all.
Overall, 2011 was a slow year that flew by. It was also, as most years are, a year filled with change.
One big change is that 4Reelz now consists of just Marisa and me, as Larry left to start his own company, Eddy Spaghetti Productions. I'm sure we'll still team up on plenty of stuff though.
Another notable change is that Matthew has grown from this little guy...
...into this less-little guy.
Entertainment-wise, I'd say it was a decent year. A brief rundown of what entertained me this year...
Movies:
The Muppets
Super 8
Thor
Captain America
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Music:
Marketa Irglova- Anar
Anna Nalick- Broken Doll & Odds & Ends
Billy the Kid & The Southside Boys- Ours
and even though it wasn't actually released this year, Jenny Owen Youngs- Transmitter Failure, which features probably my most listened-to song of the year, Last Person.
I don't want to risk jinxing anything, but I have to say, the coming year is looking like it could be pretty outstanding.
In the next few weeks, music and sound effects for The Girl and the Ghost will be done and this seemingly endless project will finally be finished.
Things are in motion for my next project, currently titled Waiting for the Sun, to really get moving. Fingers crossed, this one could be a dream project.
And without giving anything away just yet, if all goes well, the coming summer could include a trip out west...
Also coming up in 2012, my 30th birthday the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and who knows what else?
Here's hoping 2012 is full of happiness, health, love, and success for all of us. Happy New Year, everyone!
2011 started with a mix of excitement and exhaustion after the recent completion of Four Tanks and a Healer. I took a brief rest, then shifted back into work mode and finished animating The Girl and the Ghost while Marisa and Larry had some big meetings in LA about Four Tanks.
Following completion of the animation for Ghost, I laid low for a while and let myself decompress a bit.
After a long, rainy spring that lasted into the summer, in late June, I took a trip to Niagara Falls and met Teal Sherer. We spent a few days hanging out, saw Chantal play at Jackson-Triggs and just had a great time.
Sadly, the vacation ended with me getting sick and it took me until the end of July to feel back to normal.
At the end of August, I was ready to donate again, so I went and got my hair chopped.
In September, Mom was out of commission with an infection in her finger and took most of the month to recover. Before the month was over, Mom was back on track and we took an interesting trip to Toronto, which I still need to blog about.
In October, nearly a year after its completion, Four Tanks and a Healer premiered at TheOneRing.net and received very positive reactions.
In November, Bridget, Mom, and I saw Marketa Irglova in an amazing, intimate concert. Still need to blog about that one too.
This strangely rainy December saw the release of a great holiday video Teal came up with. I was happy to have been involved, even if I only lent a small hand.
Christmas, though snowless, was nice. I loved watching Matthew experience the magic and fun of it all.
Overall, 2011 was a slow year that flew by. It was also, as most years are, a year filled with change.
One big change is that 4Reelz now consists of just Marisa and me, as Larry left to start his own company, Eddy Spaghetti Productions. I'm sure we'll still team up on plenty of stuff though.
Another notable change is that Matthew has grown from this little guy...
...into this less-little guy.
Entertainment-wise, I'd say it was a decent year. A brief rundown of what entertained me this year...
Movies:
The Muppets
Super 8
Thor
Captain America
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Music:
Marketa Irglova- Anar
Anna Nalick- Broken Doll & Odds & Ends
Billy the Kid & The Southside Boys- Ours
and even though it wasn't actually released this year, Jenny Owen Youngs- Transmitter Failure, which features probably my most listened-to song of the year, Last Person.
I don't want to risk jinxing anything, but I have to say, the coming year is looking like it could be pretty outstanding.
In the next few weeks, music and sound effects for The Girl and the Ghost will be done and this seemingly endless project will finally be finished.
Things are in motion for my next project, currently titled Waiting for the Sun, to really get moving. Fingers crossed, this one could be a dream project.
And without giving anything away just yet, if all goes well, the coming summer could include a trip out west...
Also coming up in 2012, my 30th birthday the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and who knows what else?
Here's hoping 2012 is full of happiness, health, love, and success for all of us. Happy New Year, everyone!
Friday, November 04, 2011
Something Different
My friend, Steve, has himself an awesome comic at MegaCynics.com. Not long ago, he asked if I'd like to do a guest strip. I've done a lot of cool artsy stuff in my time, but despite my love for comics, I've somehow never actually attempted one of my own. I liked the idea, so I agreed. I did my thing and the strip went online today! And Teal's in it, too! Check it out here.
http://www.megacynics.com/2011/11/04/vendetta/
You should also go back to the beginning and check out all the great comics Ash has made.
Enjoy!
http://www.megacynics.com/2011/11/04/vendetta/
You should also go back to the beginning and check out all the great comics Ash has made.
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
How I Spent My Summer
Like a sticky, 90+ degree whirlwind, summer has already come and gone. Looking back, I'd have to say it was a pretty odd summer for me. It began with a burst of awesomeness and spun into a blur of inactivity.
So, let's start with the (mostly) high note that kicked off my summer.
For the past couple years, I've been friends with the fantastic Teal Sherer (whom you might recognize from The Guild). Earlier this year, an idea became a discussion, a discussion became plans, and Teal and I agreed to finally meet and hang out for a few days in Niagara Falls.
Everything was arranged quickly and before too long, the end of June had arrived and I was ready. Well, almost.
On the morning of Thursday, June 23rd, I was up at 7 AM. The original plan was to hit the road at 10 AM, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that things weren't going according to plan. Despite everything being booked and ready so far in advance, my dad didn't take our van in to get checked until the day before I was supposed to leave. Our van is a few years old and has a bit of rust on the bottom. As a result, every time this guy fixed something, something else would break. He kept the van overnight on Wednesday and kept working through Thursday. So, I sat in my living room as the hours passed by, tracked Teal's flight all the way across the country (LA to Buffalo), and it started to look like we weren't getting the van back. Dad finally brought the van back at 8 PM. Mom and I debated what to do and decided to leave that night, so we didn't lose half of Friday traveling. We packed up and left at 9:45 PM, picked up my aunt, and arrived in Niagara Falls around 2:30 AM. By the time we got unpacked, settled in, and in bed, it was 4 AM.
I woke up to my phone ringing around noon on Friday, it was Teal checking in to make sure we arrived safely. I quickly got into my chair and a little while later, Teal made her way up to my room. After two years of friendship, we finally got to meet face to face.
We went to a late breakfast at Friday's, then basically just wandered around the area for a while.
We made our way down to the Maid of the Mist, and hopped aboard. Sure, we got a bit waterlogged, definitely moreso than Teal expected, but I couldn't, in all good conscience, let her miss out on the Maid of the Mist experience, could I?
After the boat, we wandered back to the hotel and had dinner at The Keg.
All of us ended the night just hanging out in the room and watching the fireworks over the Falls.
Despite the craziness of Thursday, Friday was great.
So, let's start with the (mostly) high note that kicked off my summer.
For the past couple years, I've been friends with the fantastic Teal Sherer (whom you might recognize from The Guild). Earlier this year, an idea became a discussion, a discussion became plans, and Teal and I agreed to finally meet and hang out for a few days in Niagara Falls.
Everything was arranged quickly and before too long, the end of June had arrived and I was ready. Well, almost.
On the morning of Thursday, June 23rd, I was up at 7 AM. The original plan was to hit the road at 10 AM, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that things weren't going according to plan. Despite everything being booked and ready so far in advance, my dad didn't take our van in to get checked until the day before I was supposed to leave. Our van is a few years old and has a bit of rust on the bottom. As a result, every time this guy fixed something, something else would break. He kept the van overnight on Wednesday and kept working through Thursday. So, I sat in my living room as the hours passed by, tracked Teal's flight all the way across the country (LA to Buffalo), and it started to look like we weren't getting the van back. Dad finally brought the van back at 8 PM. Mom and I debated what to do and decided to leave that night, so we didn't lose half of Friday traveling. We packed up and left at 9:45 PM, picked up my aunt, and arrived in Niagara Falls around 2:30 AM. By the time we got unpacked, settled in, and in bed, it was 4 AM.
I woke up to my phone ringing around noon on Friday, it was Teal checking in to make sure we arrived safely. I quickly got into my chair and a little while later, Teal made her way up to my room. After two years of friendship, we finally got to meet face to face.
We went to a late breakfast at Friday's, then basically just wandered around the area for a while.
We made our way down to the Maid of the Mist, and hopped aboard. Sure, we got a bit waterlogged, definitely moreso than Teal expected, but I couldn't, in all good conscience, let her miss out on the Maid of the Mist experience, could I?
After the boat, we wandered back to the hotel and had dinner at The Keg.
All of us ended the night just hanging out in the room and watching the fireworks over the Falls.
Despite the craziness of Thursday, Friday was great.
Saturday started with another late breakfast, this time at Tony Roma's, and then it was time for the big event. A lot of my Niagara trips are planned around Chantal Kreviazuk concerts, as was the case this time, but this one was raising the bar of awesomeness. Not only was it another show at the excellent Jackson-Triggs Winery, but this time, Chantal was being accompanied by the Niagara Symphony Orchestra. As if that wasn't cool enough, the concert was also being filmed for a DVD/Bluray, etc.
So, Mom, Aunt Karen, Teal, and I packed into the van and headed to the winery early to meet up with some friends before the show. It was fun, as always, to visit with Terence, Deb, Shelly, Chris, Russell, Mitch, Sandy, and a very pregnant Kathy. People came and went, we hung out and chatted for a bit, then made our way down to the amphitheater for the show.
In reviewing the concert, I would end up mostly echoing my own comments about past shows, so I'll just say the show was incredible, Chantal sounded and looked wonderful, the orchestra really enhanced the sound into a whole new experience, the venue was beautiful, the wine was outstanding, and we had perfect seats (Thanks, Del!).
After the show, we said our see-you-laters, snapped some pictures, and headed back to the hotel.
So, Mom, Aunt Karen, Teal, and I packed into the van and headed to the winery early to meet up with some friends before the show. It was fun, as always, to visit with Terence, Deb, Shelly, Chris, Russell, Mitch, Sandy, and a very pregnant Kathy. People came and went, we hung out and chatted for a bit, then made our way down to the amphitheater for the show.
After the show, we said our see-you-laters, snapped some pictures, and headed back to the hotel.
 |
| The awesome Karen Graves |
 |
| The gang |
 |
| Del! |
Unfortunately, this is where the whole thing went downhill for me.
Around 4 AM on Sunday morning, I woke up feeling awful. The best I can guess is the mixture of wine and what I'm assuming was a kidney stone episode hit me at the same time and threw me for a loop, leaving me stuck in the hotel bed for the next couple days. I stayed in bed from Saturday night until we left on Monday morning, slept the whole way home, then got in my own bed for a couple more days.
For the last bit of vacation, my aunt and Teal bonded as they hung out and wandered around Niagara while Mom stayed in the room with me. I consider the "end" of the trip to be Sunday night. They had fireworks again and I could see them from my bed, so everyone gathered and watched. Teal had an early flight back to LA on Monday, so after the fireworks, she hugged me and was off.
For the last bit of vacation, my aunt and Teal bonded as they hung out and wandered around Niagara while Mom stayed in the room with me. I consider the "end" of the trip to be Sunday night. They had fireworks again and I could see them from my bed, so everyone gathered and watched. Teal had an early flight back to LA on Monday, so after the fireworks, she hugged me and was off.
After we got back, it took me about a week before I started to feel back to normal. Plus, I was laid up for so long, I got a bit weak and it took me about a month to fully feel like myself again.
So, the trip started and ended badly, but the concert and spending time with Teal were worth it.
That was the start of summer, and honestly, the rest of the summer whooshed by. It was an exceptionally hot summer, so I really didn't go out much. Everyone was busy, so I didn't see many people, though I did spend some good time with Bridget and Sarah. I even got to catch up a bit with Cathy and Nikki, neither of whom I'd seen in ages.
And, of course, I'm always hanging out with my ever-growing and scarily smart nephew, Matthew.
Before I knew it, my birthday was upon me and summer was nearing it's end. I had a pre-birthday visit from Corey, Eric, and Brendan, and then had a blast celebrating at Corks with Bridget the following weekend.
The weekend was topped off by a great hang out session with Marisa.
So, here we are. Fall has arrived and it looks like it'll be a busy one. I'm just about to embark on another Canadian adventure, I'm working on a big screenplay, I'm prepping a short film I love, and I'm working on a comic strip.
Yowza.
Let's go, fall!
So, the trip started and ended badly, but the concert and spending time with Teal were worth it.
That was the start of summer, and honestly, the rest of the summer whooshed by. It was an exceptionally hot summer, so I really didn't go out much. Everyone was busy, so I didn't see many people, though I did spend some good time with Bridget and Sarah. I even got to catch up a bit with Cathy and Nikki, neither of whom I'd seen in ages.
And, of course, I'm always hanging out with my ever-growing and scarily smart nephew, Matthew.
Before I knew it, my birthday was upon me and summer was nearing it's end. I had a pre-birthday visit from Corey, Eric, and Brendan, and then had a blast celebrating at Corks with Bridget the following weekend.
 |
| Me & Bridget |
The weekend was topped off by a great hang out session with Marisa.
So, here we are. Fall has arrived and it looks like it'll be a busy one. I'm just about to embark on another Canadian adventure, I'm working on a big screenplay, I'm prepping a short film I love, and I'm working on a comic strip.
Yowza.
Let's go, fall!
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